Whoa! What Was That??

[canesisters]

He's LOVELY!!!!


(are you SURE he's not someone's lost cockatoo)

 

[lesa]

Debbie, I was thinking the same thing (because I did catch have a cockatoo at my feeder once.) They stand up straighter though... I think you should send those photos to Cornell, so lucky- and see what they think!

 

[Nyboy]

I think Cane might be on the right track. Check CL for lost pet bird.

 

[thistlebloom]

He's LOVELY!!!!


(are you SURE he's not someone's lost cockatoo)

Do you mean cockatiel Cane? There's a bit of a size difference....

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Well, I looked up "albino cardinal" on google image, and there are pictures that are spitting images of the bird, so I'm inclined to say we got it right the first time

https://www.google.com/search?q=car...VtSwPMzo-AHS5qKwCQ#tbm=isch&q=albino+cardinal

Yeah sometimes escaped cockatiels and parakeets can show up at feeders, and calling the local animal shelter to find out if anyone lost them is probably the right thing to do.

Oh and if the parakeet in question is green, with a yellow head and reddish cheeks, it might be a Carolina parakeet in which case do the following.

1. Bait a bird trap with cockleburs (you probably can get a mass of them from any farmers field, and there are sometimes one or two in most mass produced bird seed mixes by accident.

2. If you do manage to catch the bird make sure it is safe and comfortable

3. Then call either the Smithsonian or the American Museum of Natural history (or possibly the Audubon society, or the department of Fish and wildlife) and tell them you need to speak to someone high up IMMEDIATELY. Trust me, if you are right, they will be VERY glad you did (and you'll probably get on the news)!

 

[so lucky]

I think I saw a Carolina Parakeet up there in the tree with an Ivory billed woodpecker.
I also have a slightly blurrier picture that shows the bird in question with a regular red cardinal, so I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I think I saw a Carolina Parakeet up there in the tree with an Ivory billed woodpecker.

Were they eventually joined by a Passenger Pigeon, or did the Heath Hen at the bottom of the tree scare it off?

 

[canesisters]

Whatever it is - it is LOVELY and I hope you get a BUNCH of pictures of it!!!

 

[Smart Red]

My first thought was an escaped pet bird, but considered that I knew what cardinals looked like and doubted I would have miss-identified a domesticated pet from a cardinal. Giving so lucky credit for the same knowledge, I accept she was right from the start.

None of the photos were large enough or had the right angle for me to identify the bird.

 

[Carol Dee]

I have no doubt that it IS a cardinal.